Page 138 of The Havenport Collection

Violet

I walked into the diner, feeling great. I had become a regular attendee at Monday breakfast, and I was completely in love with this group of women.

They welcomed me with open arms and mimosas, and I now looked forward to my weekly girl time.

I’d never had a big group of girlfriends before.

In my twenties, I traveled so much I never developed any lasting friendships.

And because I had Rose and Yael, I didn’t put a lot of emphasis on it since moving back home.

But I now knew I had been wrong. In addition to being brilliant and hilarious, these women supported each other through everything.

There were old friendships and new friendships and lots of inside jokes, but at the core, they were there for each other.

At first I was a bit confused and envious, but as I’d gotten to know everyone better, I had become incredibly grateful for their friendship.

I immediately squeezed in next to Astrid at our favorite corner booth. She was wearing all black and looked like a bored supermodel. She kissed my cheek. “How is Frankie working out?” she asked anxiously.

“So great. She is wonderful.” And it was the truth. I would be lost without her. A few weeks on the job and she was already indispensable. “She’s already having a huge impact on the farm.”

Astrid beamed. She was pretty stoic most of the time, but she positively gushed about her work.

She was so passionate about her clients at the shelter and some of the larger policy issues she was working on.

She would chew your ear off for hours about evidentiary standards in domestic violence cases and police trainings and all sort of other vital things.

Super important for sure, but very difficult for non-Ivy League lawyers to understand.

Emily crashed into the booth opposite us.

“Sorry I’m late. It’s only nine and I’m already over this day.

” She adjusted her messy bun and gazed around the table as we all smiled at her.

Emily was perpetually late and perpetually overwhelmed.

She was a whirlwind in human form. She was so lively and a bit wild.

It was disarming. She had a real hot-mess-mom vibe happening, and I respected it. Clearly we were kindred spirits.

Cece wordlessly handed her a mimosa. “Bless you,” Emily replied, downing it in one gulp. “Guys, I need help. Derek’s younger brother Garrett is coming to stay with us next week, and we’ve been furiously cleaning and getting things ready for him.”

“Your house is huge,” Astrid said. “You have plenty of room.”

Emily gestured at Jackie for another. “Yes, but it’s also a pigsty.

We have a guest room, but it’s become storage slash home office slash meditation room.

We have been digging through all the shit and clearing things out.

The poor guy just got out of the military.

He needs peace and quiet, not insane chaos. ”

Astrid snorted into her coffee. Emily had three kids under six. The chaos was inevitable.

“Why is he coming up here and not back to Texas to his family?” Cece asked. I had only met him a few times, but Derek, Emily’s husband, grew up on a ranch in Texas. I knew he had a big family there.

“I think things are strained between him and his dad. And he doesn’t want to work on the ranch.

He just needs a break and some time to get his bearings.

He’s spent the last six years as an Army Ranger, and I can’t even imagine the stress.

So he’s going to hang here for a bit and play with the kids.

I’m looking forward to having another set of hands, that’s for sure, but I want to make things as nice as possible for him. ”

Maggie patted her hand. “Wow. You are a wonderful sister-in-law, and I bet he will love spending time with his niece and nephews. And he won’t care about the state of your house.”

Emily smiled. “I think he may want to stay up here and get a job. Derek would love that, but we’ll see.” She crossed her fingers. “Anyway, enough about my drama-rama. Fill me in. What’s happening?”

Nora turned to me and smiled. “I think we should check in with Violet.” My stomach dropped. “So, what’s going on with you and Callum?” she asked sweetly.

All eyes were on me, and I felt a flush creep up my cheeks.

“Oh. It’s that good, huh?” Astrid elbowed me in the ribs playfully.

My blush deepened, and I attempted to compose myself. I was a grown woman; I could talk about my boyfriend without giggling like a schoolgirl. “We’re together and it’s good.”

Cece laughed loudly. “You are in so deep, girl. With a Quinn brother there is always more to tell. Am I right?” She looked at Astrid who gave her a head nod.

“Is it serious?” Maggie asked.

“Oh, please,” Emily said. “Callum hasn’t dated anyone for more than five minutes since his divorce. And he’s clearly obsessed with her.”

“He’s not.” My face was getting redder by the minute.

Everyone looked at me with placating smiles. “Of course he is,” Nora said gently. “And I bet things are really hot and heavy right now, hence the nonstop blushing.”

I shrugged. There was no use hiding anything from them.

I was a terrible liar and tended to be more of a cards-on-the-table type of gal.

“Things are really good.” I secretly wanted to jump on the table and scream, “Callum Quinn is a sex god.” Because Nora was right.

Things had gotten hot and heavy, emphasis on the hot.

My thighs clenched under the table at the thought of just how hot things had gotten at his condo this weekend.

There was a silence that I think they expected me to fill with sexy details.

“Here’s the thing. It may be serious, it may not be.

I can’t waste time obsessing about that stuff.

I am all about living in the present, you know?

I have had a rough few years, and I am just so grateful that I have him in my life.

I want to enjoy this and let things develop organically. ”

Everyone stared at me. Astrid downed her mimosa. “You are perfect for him,” she declared, gesturing to Jackie for another.

“Agreed,” Nora said. “I am digging your whole earth mother, live in the now vibe.”

“It’s not a vibe.” I felt embarrassed. “It’s just who I am. I am so busy stressing about the future of the farm and the future for my kids, I can’t obsess about my future with Callum. I’m just going to be grateful and see what happens.”

“Spoken like a true Zen master,” Emily mused.

“Trust me, I am not.”

“No, no,” Maggie said. “I like it. I have lost years of my life worrying and obsessing about things I can’t control. I have lost countless hours of sleep and fun because I couldn’t live in the present. I respect what you’re doing.”

“Thank you.” We made eye contact, and some silent understanding passed between us.

I knew Maggie—she was our nurse practitioner—but I didn’t know know her.

Hanging out with her at Monday breakfast had made me realize just how intuitive and thoughtful she was.

Hopefully, we could become friends. Single moms needed to stick together.

Thankfully, Jackie and Joe interrupted the dissection of my relationship with armfuls of plates.

I dug into my veggie omelet with gusto, desperate to change the subject.

I trusted these women, and I respected them, but my feelings for Callum were so big and so intense, I didn’t even know how to verbalize them. I needed time to process everything.

Everyone dug in and, thankfully, moved on from the topic of my love life.

Nora was house hunting, which was exciting.

The real estate market in Havenport was pretty intense, and hearing her horror stories made me really grateful for my parents’ farmhouse.

It may not be fancy, but it was home for me and the boys.

“I’ve been putting it off for years,” Nora said, “but watching you all move on with your lives, getting married, starting businesses, and just being so amazing, it made me realize that it’s time to go after what I really want.”

“I think it’s fantastic,” Cece said.

“My stupid, traditional parents always drilled into my head that it’s not something a single woman does.”

“That is total bullshit,” Emily said. “If you want a house, go get yourself a goddamn house.”

“A-woman.”

“I’d like to propose a toast,” Astrid said, raising her mimosa. “To kicking ass and taking names.”

We raised our glasses. “I love you guys,” Cece said.

“To us!” Nora trilled. “May we continue to be badass bitches.”

We toasted and sipped and smiled—well, everyone except Maggie, who stared into her mimosa.

“Josh and I are going to couples therapy,” she whispered.

The chattering stopped, and everyone stared.

“Mags. That’s great news!” Emily shouted. Cece elbowed her, and she lowered her voice. “That’s great.”

“I’m really proud of you.” Cece put her arm around her big sister.

I smiled. I didn’t know much about the history between Maggie and her husband, just that they had been separated for a while.

Maggie always struck me as one of those perfect women who had it all together.

The kind that effortlessly balanced all the amazing things in her life.

But as I got to know her, I realized that there was a lot more going on beneath the surface.

I watched as she picked at her manicured nails with a sheepish smile.

I knew what it felt like to be in a failing marriage, and I prayed that things would work out for her.

Cece had her arm around her and was rubbing her shoulder. Maggie looked more emotional than I had ever seen her. She wiped a tear out of her eye and smiled. “Thanks, guys. I’m ready to take this step.”

“To taking the next step,” Cece said, raising her glass again.

I looked around the booth, marveling at this amazing collection of women.

All of them living on their own terms, all of them overcoming their own hardships, and always leaning on one another.

They inspired me. I came back to Havenport for a fresh start.

And I was given the greatest gift of all, a chance at something new.

A new business, new friendships, and new love.